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Applying for a student visa

You will need to check whether you need a visa to study in the UK. A quick way to find out is to use the online questionnaire offered by the UK Government website.

At Kings we have a very high visa success rate because we work closely with our agents and students when they are preparing their visa application. We are not immigration advisors but we have put together what we hope is a useful checklist for you to use when preparing a Student visa application. This is based on our experience of what works and the latest UKVI visa advice.

This information is for guidance only, please visit the Visas and Immigration pages of the UK government website for detailed guidance before proceeding with your application.

Student Visa Checklist

  • Valid Passport with your correct details: the name must be spelt exactly the same way on all of your documentation. EG passport, bank statements, CAS, qualifications.
  • Any previous passports you make reference to in your application.
  • Visa application form: it sounds obvious, but have you completed the correct visa application form? If you are unsure about any section of the application form, please contact your Registrar by email and we will help you.
  • Copy of your tuberculosis test if applicable (www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa)
  • Immigration Health Surcharge payment: if applying for a course of 6 months or longer. Check here for the fee you will need to pay
  • Two recent passport sized colour photographs of yourself meeting the UKVI photograph requirements (www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports);
  • Original transcripts of your academic qualifications listed in your CAS statement plus translations. UKVI do not accept preliminary or predicted results.
  • Evidence of your finances that meets the requirements of the Tier 4 policy guidance. Lack of evidence of sufficient finances is the most common reason for visa refusal. Consequently we take extra care to check this. Unless you are from a country which has a differentiation agreement such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea or UAE we will be asking you to send us proof of finances before we release your CAS (see full list here). If you are from these countries we still encourage you to check them with us if you wish and we will ask you for reassurance that you have all your documentation in order in case you are asked for it by the UKVI. See below for what evidence of finances is required.
  • Parental Consent Form: if you are 16/17 years old and you are applying for a Child Student visa you also need to submit a letter from your parent(s)/legal guardian confirming that they give you permission to study with us and to travel and live independently in the UK. Please use the Letter of Parental Consent included in our Acceptance Forms for this purpose.

Biometric Residence Permit Collection Code – please include the alternative location collection code stated on the CAS in your visa application. This allows you to collect your BRP from our schools rather than from a local Post Office.

Child Student Visa Checklist

As above with the additional information below:

  • Proof of care and reception: are you going to be accompanied when you travel, where will you live and how will you travel to this address from the airport? If you have booked Kings accommodation and transfer we will include this on the CAS, if you are not using our services we will ask you for these details and include it on the CAS. 

Financial evidence

How much money will you need?

Course fees

You will normally need to pay a deposit of £3,250 towards your tuition fees in order to be issued with a CAS. You can deduct this £3,250 plus any extra fees you have paid towards your tuition fees from the total amount you need to show for your fees.

Any payments you have made towards your tuition fees will be stated on your CAS.

For example if you are applying for a Student visa to study our Advanced Level Foundation Programme:

Your fees are £23,385

You have paid the £3,250 towards your fees

Your CAS states: Tuition fees due: £23,385, Tuition fees paid: £3,250

Therefore you must have £20,135 in your account for your remaining tuition fees plus the funds for your living costs.

Living costs

You must have enough money to support yourself while you are studying in the UK.

To study at Kings London you will need to show £1,334 for each month of your course for a maximum of nine months, therefore you will need £12,006.

To study at Kings Oxford, Bournemouth or Brighton you will need £1,265, therefore you must have a total of £11,385 for your living costs.

For example:

If you are planning to start an Advanced Level Foundation Programme at Kings London in September, you will need to show £12,006. (£1,334 × 9 months) for your living costs.

You can pay a maximum of £1,334 in advance that can be deducted from the living costs and stated on the CAS, therefore you will need to show £10,672 in your account for living costs

Total funds needed in your bank or savings account for this example:

Tuition fees £20,135 plus living costs £10,672 = £30,807

The 28-day rule

Any money you use for maintenance (tuition fees and living costs) must be in your account for a consecutive period of 28 days. During the 28 day period this money cannot drop below the required amount for even one day or you will not meet UKVI requirements and your application will be refused.

Financial evidence

The money you are required to show can be in your bank account, your parent’s account or in a joint account with anyone as long as you are named on the account. If you are relying on funds in your parent’s account, you must include the following documents in support of your application:

  • a letter from you parent/s confirming that you are their child and that they will be paying all of your course fees and living costs: see a sample of this letter
  • your original birth certificate (with an original translation if not in English)
  • your parent/s' financial documents

If a family member other than your parents is paying your fees, they will need to transfer the required amount into your bank account or use a joint account with your name on it, as their bank statements will not be accepted. If you are living with relatives, you will still have to show the full living costs. Financial evidence from anyone other than you or your parents will not be accepted by the UKVI.

The only exception is if you have received official financial sponsorship for your full fees and living costs from a recognised sponsor such as your Government.

Required documents

The UKVI is very specific about the documentary evidence they will accept. There are strict requirements that these documents must meet.

The key documents that are accepted by the UKVI include:

  • Bank statements
  • Building society pass books
  • Letter from the bank: see a sample letter
  • Overseas account statements/letters (regulated by the official regulatory body for the country the institution is in and where the money is held)
  • Letter from a financial institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority
  • Letter confirming a loan. The loan must be provided by your national government, their state or regional government, a government-sponsored student loan company or part of an academic or educational loan scheme.

Bank and financial statements

Bank statements

Bank or building society statements must cover a 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application and should contain:

  • your name
  • your account number
  • the date of the statement
  • the financial institution’s name and logo
  • the amount of money available

If you are using a joint account you must have your name on the statement.

If there are no regular transactions in the account, you should provide additional documents to explain the origin of the money in the account.

If you are not using bank statements sent to you in the post (which will normally meet all of the above requirements) and you request a bank statement or letter from your bank, the statement must also meet certain requirement. It must:

  • be printed on the bank's letterhead
  • include all the information above
  • not be a mini-statement

If you are given an electronic bank statement from an online account it must include the information above and there should be a supporting letter from the bank on company-headed paper, confirming the authenticity of the statements provided. Alternatively an electronic bank statement bearing the official stamp of the bank in question will be accepted. The stamp must appear on every page of the statement.

Letter from the bank

A letter from the bank must confirm funds covering a 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application. It should state that there is enough money in the account to cover your course fees and living costs and include the following details:

  • your name
  • your account number
  • the date of the letter
  • the financial institution’s name and logo
  • the amount of money available
  • that the required money has been held in the account for at least 28 days up to the date of the letter.

Remember that bank statements and transcripts need to be translated officially. Check that all names have the same spelling on every official document and make copies of everything.

Lastly, please allow sufficient time for your visa application and for us to check your documents. We don’t issue CAS until finance documents have been checked. If there are any questions about the validity of documentation we can check on your behalf with our Premium Licence Manager, a support service from the UKVI to which we subscribe – this is an excellent resource, but it takes time, particularly during July and August.

Thank you for your enquiry.
We'll be in touch soon.
The Kings Admissions Team